Apple closes lower following iPhone event; 5C to start at $735 in China

Though initial takes on the iPhone 5S/5C are generally positive, Apple's (AAPL-2.3%) event didn't feature many big announcements that hadn't been reported by the rumor mill (the A7's use of a 64-bit architecture is one notable exception).

Meanwhile, TechInAsia observes Apple's Chinese site will be selling the 16GB iPhone 5C for an unsubsidized RMB4488 ($735), or just $131 less than the 16GB 5S. In the U.S., the 5C starts at $549 unsubsidized. It doesn't look as if Apple is willing to greatly sacrifice its margins to take share from cheaper Android hardware.

Though being discontinued elsewhere, the iPhone 4 is still available in China for RMB2,588 ($420) for the time being.

For now, Apple isn't giving 3rd-party developers access to its fingerprint sensor API. Odds are that will change down the line.

AnandTech offers a favorable take on the sensor after trying it out "Tapping and holding your finger on the button quickly unlocks the device."

Engadget on the 5C: "This is the spiritual successor to the iPhone 5 ... Given the price, it may not turn out to be the device for emerging markets, but it at least gives interested iPhone buyers more choice."

The Verge on the 5S: "This is definitely a refining year for Apple, but all of the refinements on the iPhone 5S are solid. That fingerprint reader might end up being a bigger deal than you'd think."

Update: Though Apple's iPhone LTE page doesn't mention support for China Mobile's TD-LTE network (as noted by Fierce Wireless), technical specs for the 5S and 5C indicate a variant of each phone will support the LTE bands (38-40) used by China Mobile.